SIMF
Social Innovation Matching Fund
A Horizon Europe initiative pioneering new finance mechanisms for social innovation — matching public and private capital to scale the solutions that communities need most.
Programme Overview
SIMF is a groundbreaking Horizon Europe programme that develops and tests new matching fund mechanisms for social innovation. By bringing together public funders, private investors, and social innovators, SIMF creates the financial infrastructure needed to scale proven social solutions across Europe.
Impact Hub Stockholm contributes its expertise in social entrepreneurship support and investor matchmaking, helping to design fund structures that work for both innovators and investors.
Through 12 cutting-edge MOOCs, hands-on workshops, and the creation of 6 regional Innovation Clusters, AWAKEN equips female entrepreneurs with digital skills, business strategy, and peer networks. At the same time, we train the educators and mentors who support them — creating a multiplier effect that outlasts the programme itself.
The Challenge:
Social innovators across Europe develop proven solutions to pressing challenges, from climate adaptation to digital inclusion, but struggle to access the blended finance needed to scale. Traditional funding mechanisms are not designed for social impact, and investors lack the pipelines to find high-quality social innovation opportunities.
Who Is It For
- Social innovators with proven solutions ready to scale through blended finance
- Public funders and development agencies looking to leverage their capital with private co-investment
- Impact investors and social finance providers seeking structured deal flow in social innovation
- Intermediaries and fund managers designing new social investment vehicles
- Policymakers shaping the regulatory environment for social innovation finance
What you get
- Access to innovative matching fund mechanisms designed specifically for social innovation
- Investor matchmaking and blended finance structuring support
- Capacity building for social innovators on investment readiness and scaling strategy
- Cross-European peer learning on social innovation finance best practices
- Direct participation in shaping the next generation of EU social innovation funding
Impact Numbers
Horizon Europe funded
Europe’s largest research and innovation programme
Multi-country
Consortium testing new finance mechanisms
Months of innovation and testing
Designed to create
Replicable models for social innovation finance across the EU
Funding Acknowledgement
This project is funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme (KA220-ADU). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
About our initiatives
Impact Consulting
Together we work on reaching your sustainability goals by applying innovation tools and latest frameworks. We empower you with know-how and connect you to the relevant network, so you can keep making progress. Besides, we make sure that the people who matter most are involved, because sustainability is all about the community.
